NYS BURN BAN:
Open burn piles are not allowed through May 14th. As vegetation comes back to life in early spring, there is a lot of dried, dead vegetation mixed in that quickly ignites and can spread, causing large brush fires.
Open burning is the single greatest cause of wildfires in NYS. Since the spring burn ban was implemented in 2009, the number of wildfires has decreased by more than 40%.
For more information, visit https://www.dec.ny.gov/press/127269.html.
SPRING SAFETY:
With the arrival of Spring, severe weather can happen at a moment’s notice. Thunderstorms cause most of the severe spring weather. They can bring lightning, tornadoes, and flooding. Whenever warm, moist air collides with cool, dry air, thunderstorms can occur. Wind, rain, hail, tornadoes, and other elements can cause extensive damage to your home and property, so it’s always a good idea to be prepared for what Mother Nature throws your way. Learn more here.
SKYWARN TRAINING:
The Tompkins County Department of Emergency Response will host a Basic SKYWARN Training offered by meteorologists from the National Weather Service office in Binghamton on Wednesday, April 12th, from 6:30pm-8:00pm. The class is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about techniques and safety for severe weather spotting and how you can report severe weather to the NWS.
For more information and to register, go to: https://www.weather.gov/bgm/outreachSKYWARNtraining.
PREPAREDNESS:
Register to attend a Citizen Preparedness Corps training near you and learn how to prepare for any type of disaster or emergency, respond accordingly and recover. Learn more at: https://www.dhses.ny.gov/citizen-preparedness-corps. The next training session offered in Tompkins County will take place Saturday, May 13th at 10am at the Enfield Community Center, 162 Enfield Main Road.
Topics include how to develop a family emergency plan, how to prepare your family and home for a potential emergency such as fire, what to do in specific situations such as active shooter, and covers evacuation or sheltering-in-place due to a life-threatening event, and much more. The training also discusses what to do when returning home after an emergency, including re-entry procedures, checking for and documenting damage safely, addressing emotional and other personal needs in the aftermath of a catastrophic event, and being wary of post-disaster scams.